NewsRoom: Attractive, fun, and lightweight feed reader
NewsRoom is an app that pulls all my favorite rss web content to my Android phone, and allows me to scroll through it much more quickly than using the browser.
I used the free trial before quickly deciding it was worth the $4.99 to have this gem permanently on my phone. The UI is stunning, especially compared with the other RSS readers out there. It makes my aging myTouch feel like a cutting edge piece of technology again – a rush I lost after the release of the Droid and N1. The user can seamlessly scroll through articles with the swipe of a finger and drag the article up or down to switch between the full article and the overview.
NewsRoom features 4 customizable home screens that allow you to organize your feeds (up to 36) in any order. The screens display rich icons bearing the website’s logo, and for those of us who are easily amused, they animate when selected to open or to be moved. NewsRoom even offers widgets, although they are nothing more than feed shortcuts placed on the home screen.
The developer, Trileet, is a friendly and responsive bunch. I had an issue not being able to install the paid version and they quickly found a solution.
If I could reserve one nag, it would be the lack of sync with Google reader. The native search on NewsRoom is pretty intuitive, but it does get tiring searching little results on a little screen. Until I snag the upcoming Mini 5, it would be nice to run searches for web content while on my desktop.
The app is lightweight enough to use on any version of Android, although the search can be slow, especially on slower speeds or a high traffic network.
The Good
The stunning UI makes this app fun and my phone feel state of the art again.
Delivers on its promise to quickly and easily deliver your favorite web content without opening a browser.
The four home screens are attractive and easy to use.
Not so Good
This app does not sync with Google Reader.
NewsRoom does not cooperate with landscape mode for easier reading.
The widgets are nothing more than shortcuts to your favorite feeds. They do not show actual content.
Final Verdict
I highly recommend NewsRoom. It is fast, customizable, simple, and delivers on its promise. Well worth the $4.99
Note: This review was submitted by James King as part of our app review contest.
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Source: Android and Me
